Whispers Of The Abyss

𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐.

𝕋𝗈 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗋𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗐𝖺𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆𝗌𝖾𝗅𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗇.~Image built with credit where credit is due.

𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑏𝑦𝑠𝑠

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 1

𝑃𝑎𝑔𝑒 1

✧༺♥༻✧✧༺♥༻✧✧༺♥༻✧

She sighed. She hated sighing. Every time she did, her brain would pull up that random fact: You lose two years of your life every time you sigh. She couldn't even remember where she'd heard it-some podcast? A YouTube video? Regardless, the thought stuck like gum under a desk.

"There goes another two years of my life with that little huff..." she muttered to herself. The urge to sigh again-at just how exhausted she felt-was tempting. Like a death wish.

"Azaria! Hellooo! Earth to Azaria Constantine!"

June's hand waved frantically in front of her face, snapping her back to reality. Azaria blinked, looking away from her laptop screen where her latest book draft glared back at her. She gave June a quiet, unhappy frown.

"No need to yell," she said softly. "And do you have to use my last name in public? It's bad enough that a movie came out with it-I don't need you shouting it like it's some big deal."

June waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what coffee do you want? We're on our bestie date, remember? Quit messing around with your goofy hobby."

Did she just call my hobbies goofy? For real?

Azaria's irritation must have been obvious because June took it upon herself to check if her work was saved and then closed the laptop before speaking again.

"It's only goofy because you're doing it, darling!" she teased.

Azaria rolled her eyes but couldn't help a small smile. June was her best-and only-friend. It was hard to stay mad at her when she was usually right. It was goofy. Who was she kidding? She'd never be popular. Five readers cared enough to check out her writing, and only one ever commented.

And even that one reader was weird. "The pain feels so relatable," they'd say or "The drama is just like my real life."

She shivered at the thought. Most of her stories were fantasy horror tragedies, heavy on the tragedy. Sure, she loved romance books, but how could she write them? She barely had any life experience to draw from. Let alone-

"Azaria, you're zoning againnn~" June huffed, causing her to nervously smile back when she was pulled from her thoughts.

"Sorry-sorry, yes.. .um..Just a white mocha, please.."

June pouted at her response and whined, "You get that every time though!"

Azaria blushed and slightly laughed. "I can't help it, it's my favorite after all. I am also definitely not changing it today-Look! It's raining outside and-"

June waved her hand with a resigned smile. "Yes, yes, I know~ you love the rain. I'll go get our coffees, don't let me see you with your nose in your computer! or I'll spill coffee on it!" June teased as she left.

Azaria gazed out the window with a slight chuckle at June's antics, watching the rain race down the glass in streaks. The soft, rhythmic tapping of the rain on the window, the low hum of the café's music blending with the quiet chatter, and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine in the back-everything about the moment felt familiar, comforting.

She let the sounds wash over her, how could she not? The background noise was a gentle lull and she found herself lost in the atmosphere of it all. The city was alive outside, but inside? it was just her, the quiet hustle of the cafe, and the soft, steady rain.

_____________________________________________

After a while, June showed up with the drinks-and of course, a few snacks as well.

Ms. Dugly was the best baker June and Azaria knew, and she was always kind to them, almost like a mother. Azaria loved it, even if it made her miss her own mother. No, her mother wasn't dead, but she might as well have been.

After Azaria moved out, her parents never contacted her unless it was for an event. She would show up, and for a week, everything would be filled with joy, love, and caring. Then, once she left, it was like her parents dropped off the face of the earth. Nothing ever happened.

"So~ you gonna tell me when your next event is? Or am I gonna have to pry it from you?" June playfully bumped Azaria with an excited smile.

Despite how she looked and acted, Azaria actually liked her job. She was a party planner, though she never 𝘩𝘢𝘥 to attend. Helping with calls and answering questions was all she did on those party nights. But lately, it has felt rather boring.

"For the next event, I decided to pull from a few books and go with a classic. I'm planning a masquerade—a charity event for a family donating to a children's hospital. There'll be all sorts of activities to make it memorable," Azaria explained matter-of-factly. It was the truth, though the incredulous look on June's face made her feel like she was spinning a wild tale.

"You? Going to a party?" June raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with disbelief.

Azaria almost felt offended at the question, but June wasn't wrong. Her social avoidance was legendary. Still, she nodded to confirm, bracing herself for the inevitable reaction.

June practically shrieked with joy, her excitement piercing Azaria's ear. She winced, leaning away from the onslaught.

"When and where?! Can I come too? Are we going full-on fancy ball gowns, or something more modern and sexy?" June fired off questions rapid-fire, barely pausing for breath.

Azaria tried to keep up, answering in one rushed breath. "We're leaving for New York next month and staying for four weeks. Yes, you're coming—otherwise, I'd never survive—and as for the dress code, it hasn't been decided by the owner yet, but I'm guessing modern since it's in New York." She exhaled deeply, relieved to have tackled most of June's interrogation in one go.

What Azaria didn't know though, was that this trip would change her life entirely, flipping her world upside down in ways she could never imagine.